Sasuke's Dream
by 13litz13last
Summary: Sasuke dreams of his brother, and a promise he made...to watch flower petals. Spoilers, one shot, not itasasu.


Sasuke once heard that when you fell asleep and dreamed about someone, it meant that they fell asleep thinking of you. And what you saw in your dreams, and what they ultimately meant, was based on the feelings that they were feeling about you...

It was like any other night, falling asleep in that soundless apartment, lacking of any familiar noises: a cat's meow, a father's snore. So quiet, so deathly quiet.

And he felt that his sleep would be the same: that emptiness, that feeling of just passing out and coming to life suddenly, as if no time had passed at all.

But that didn't happen.

It was a wonderful dream, really, the best he'd ever had. He was surrounded by forest, covered in the falling cherry blossoms that would bloom in the spring. That had always been his favorite time of year: Sasuke had always been a quiet sort of person, never really shining his own light next to his skilled and handsome brother. He wasn't extraordinary or special. The blossoms helped him feel this amazing feeling.

Sasuke never expected to see his brother in his dreams, especially not in such a marvelous one. Since it was a dream, Sasuke didn't remember all those horrible things Itachi had done, so when he appeared before him, smiling warmly, Sasuke didn't think it strange.

"It's beautiful here, isn't it, Sasuke?" he said, taking his younger brother's hand in his.

Sasuke gladly accepted the outstretched hand. "Yeah, it is." He didn't say anything more, just watched the flowers. He sat down on the ground, watching their fantastic spirals from the trees.

Itachi sat next to him, admiring them as well. "It's always better to watch them with someone else, you know?" he commented. "It's so much fun to talk to someone while seeing these flowers...and just depressing when you do it alone, don't you think?"

Sasuke nodded.

Itachi sighed. "Listen...Brother..."

Sasuke glanced up.

"No matter what fights we may get into..."

Sasuke waited.

Itachi smiled down at him. "No matter what, will you always watch the cherry blossoms with me, even if it's just once a year?"

Sasuke smiled. "Not only that, I'd do it every day, Brother."

"Really?"

"Only if you teach me that shuriken technique!"

Itachi smiled, wrapped an arm around Sasuke's shoulder and pulled him closer. "Love you, Little Brother," he said quietly.

"Love you too, Big Brother."

"Always?"

"Always."

--

Sasuke awoke slowly, in almost ecstacy. The morning sun shone mildly through his half-open window, covering him in its rays of golden light. He groaned a bit, stretching his eight-year-old body, fluttering his eyes open slowly.

It took him nearly a half hour to wake up. In all that time, he lived in the pleasant illusion that he would get up and find his mother in the kitchen, making breakfast, his father sipping tea, and his brother outside, waiting for him to eat so they could go cherry-blossom watching, and maybe go cricket hunting like they used to do when they were younger--though their father had banned it, since he called it a childish game.

But when he finally did get up, his bare feet touching the cold hard-wood floor, and the smell of dirty laundry assaulting his nose, he was ripped violently from his loving illusion and forced wildly back into reality. He lost his balance immediately and ended up falling to the floor, hitting his hip bone badly and causing him to grimace in pain.

He lay on the floor for a long time, just looking at the birds, and how they mindlessly twittered among the falling, beautiful flower petals.

--

Not too far away, a lone ninja cloaked in black sat in a tree, not daring to move. His face was tilted to the ocean-blue sky, pink petals falling onto his perfect features. His raven-black hair was filled with them, giving him an almost amusing look.

A thirty-something man below, with the skin of a fish, called up to him: "Itachi-san, how long have you been there?"

Itachi answered, after a moment, "Not very long."

The man below shrugged. "Well, we have to go in a few minutes, so..."

Itachi drowned out the man's next few words. He just focused on the silky feeling of the petals against his skin, marveling in its soft texture. The truth was, he hadn't been there only a little while.

He'd been there all night.


End file.
